MotionArtist 3.0 Creates Flash Animations - Product Review

Save Animations in SWF Format

Once you've created your animation, you can save it in the MotionArtist format (FMD) or in the Flash animation format (SWF). When you save your file in the Flash format, the program will automatically generate the HTML code to use with the SWF file. You then are ready to add the SWF file to your website using a variety of HTML editors such as Adobe DreamweaverR.

Rollover Buttons

Everyone seems to have some sort of rollover effect for the navigation buttons on their website. With MotionArtist, you can easily create your own with the built-in wizards. First, you select a different graphic for the three stages of the rollover effect (normal, over and pushed). Then you add sound to the three stages and finally assign the link settings (URL destinations).

Web Banners and More

MotionArtist has many templates to help you create web banners, digital image galleries and Flash navigation. To make a web banner, you just choose one of the banner templates and use the wizard to add the text you wish to appear in each frame of the animated banner. The program will generate the completed banner. Creating a website with Flash navigation is just as easy with MotionArtist's templates. Simply use the wizard to give your homepage a title and attach a destination URL to each menu link. Then add content to the webpages. MotionArtist will create the website for you including animations, transitions and graphics.

Variables

For those of you who want to create more advanced animations, MotionArtist has Cell Mode Animation which will allow you to automate through a sequence of images. It also has variable support for setting simple test (conditional) settings to control operations such as making objects appear and disappear, changing destination URL's conditionally or controlling advanced rollover effects.